Safety device for connecting cryogenic fluid piping and cryogenic fluid container comprising at least one piping provided with such a safety device

ABSTRACT

The connection ( 5 ) comprises, between its screw-threaded connection portions, a stay ( 9 ) comprising at least one pair of openings ( 10 ) spaced by a predetermined distance and serving for the securement to each other, by rivets ( 19 ), of a retaining strap ( 11 ) of L shape with two wings cut out in U shape, the front wing ( 12 ) also having a pair of openings spaced by the same distance as the openings of the stay ( 9 ), as well as a marking identifying the gas corresponding to said spacing. Use in containers for cryogenic fluids.

[0001] The present invention relates to safety devices for the connections of piping for cryogenic fluid, having two screw-threaded connection ends prolonging a central body portion, and more particularly safety devices for piping connections for filling and/or emptying containers of cryogenic fluids.

[0002] Cryogenic fluid piping connections are sized differently according to the fluids in question, classified by their type according to their degree of danger, typically either an inert gas such as nitrogen or argon, or oxygen. The connections must be able to be changed in the case of damage or change of the fluid stored in the container, which can give rise to uncontrolled reversals.

[0003] The present invention has for its object to provide a safety device preventing such uncontrolled reversals and permitting identifying reliability and rapidly the different connections thereby limiting the risk of inappropriate connection.

[0004] To do this, according to one characteristic of the invention, a portion of the connection body comprises a stay comprising at least one pair of openings spaced a predetermined distance apart, the safety device moreover comprising a retaining member comprising a front portion formed with a pair of openings spaced the same predetermined distance and serving for the securement of the retaining member with the stay, and a rear portion adapted to coact in abutment with an element of said piping on which the connection is mounted.

[0005] More particularly:

[0006] the retaining member carries a marking

[0007] the predetermined distance is selected from a group of at least two different distances, corresponding typically to different types of gases

[0008] the marking of the retaining member is associated with one of said predetermined distances.

[0009] The present invention also has for its object a container for cryogenic fluid, typically of liquified air gas, comprising at least one piping provided with a safety device as defined above.

[0010] Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments, given by way of illustrative but non-limiting example, with respect to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0011]FIG. 1 is a side view of one embodiment of a safety device according to the invention;

[0012]FIGS. 2 and 3 are views respectively from the side and from above of a multi-outlet cryogenic container provided with safety devices according to FIG. 1;

[0013]FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a connection according to the invention;

[0014]FIGS. 5 and 6 are front views of two differentiated retaining members according to the invention.

[0015] In FIGS. 2 and 3 there is shown a cryogenic fluid container, generally designated by reference numeral 1, comprising in its upper portion, protected by a handling railing 2, several filling or emptying pipes 3 ₁, 3 ₂, 3 ₃ each provided with a control valve 4 for passage of fluid.

[0016] As is better seen in FIG. 1, in the end of the valve 4 opposite the pipe 3 is mounted a connection 5 serving for connecting a pipe 3 with external piping (not shown). As is seen in FIG. 4, the connection 5, typically made of brass, comprises a rear screw-threaded portion 6 adapted to be screwed into the valve 4 and a front screw-threaded portion 7 adapted for connection with said external piping and normally protected, before said connection, by a removable cap 8.

[0017] According to one aspect of the invention, the connection 5 comprises, between its screw-threaded portions 6 and 7, at least one stay 9 extending radially outwardly and provided with at least one pair (typically two pairs) of through openings 10 spaced by a predetermined distance d₁.

[0018] The safety device according to the invention comprises on the other hand a retaining member or strap 11, preferably made of stainless steel, having, in the illustrated embodiment, a general L shape with a front wing 12 provided with a U shaped cutout 13 adapted to engage in the clearance of the screw thread 7 of the connection 5, and in front of the stay 9, and a rear wing 14, also provided with a U shaped but wider cutout 15 to surround, in the mounted arrangement, the guide stem of the handle 16 of the valve 4.

[0019] According to one aspect of the invention, the front wing 12 of the strap 11 comprises on opposite sides of the U shaped cutout 13, a pair of openings 17 spaced apart the same distance d₁ as the pair of openings 10 of the stay 9 of the connection 5.

[0020] According to another aspect of the invention, the spacing d₁ is selected from a group of at least two different spacings, namely typically a spacing d₁ for an oxygen connection (FIGS. 4 and 5) and a different spacing d₂ for an inert gas such as nitrogen or argon (FIG. 6). To avoid any question of possible erroneous measurement of the spacings d₁, each strap 11 comprises a visible marking 18 ₁ corresponding to the spacing d₁, thereby permitting immediately pairing the strap 11 and the connection 5 corresponding to the type of gas in question.

[0021] It will accordingly be understood that, once this pairing has been done, the connection 5 is emplaced by screwing it into the valve 4, the strap 11 is inserted with its U shaped portions surrounding the connection 5 and the valve stem 16 and the connection 5 and the strap 11 are non-removably secured together by rivets inserted through openings 10 and 17 and then compressed, thereby rendering the connection disassembleable only by destruction of the rivets.

[0022] In the case of containers 1 provided with a plurality of filling/emptying piping as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, there will preferably be provided in advance sets of two or three straps 11 for a same type of gas connected to each other by a flexible connection 20 strongly resistant to traction, for example a metallic cable or a bundle of polyamid fibers, thereby limiting the risk of mixing up, in storage bins, straps of different types and avoiding the risk of mounting straps of different groups to a same receptacle.

[0023] As mentioned above, the present invention has particular application to contains for liquified air gas, typically oxygen on the one hand, argon and nitrogen on the other hand.

[0024] The present invention is however not limited to these embodiments but is adapted to be modified and varied as will become apparent to a person skilled in the art within the scope of the following claims. 

1. Safety device for cryogenic fluid piping connections, arising to screw-threaded ends extending from a central body portion, characterized in that the central body portion comprises a stay (9) comprising at least one pair of openings (10) spaced apart by a predetermined distance (d₁) and in that it comprises a retaining member (11) comprising a front portion (12) formed with a pair of openings (17) spaced by said predetermined distance (d₁) and serving for connection with the stay (9), and a rear portion (14) adapted to coact in abutment with an element (7) of said piping.
 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the retaining member (11) has a generally L shape.
 3. Device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the piping element is a valve (4, 16).
 4. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rear portion (14) of the retaining member has a U shape (15) to receive a portion (16) of the valve (4).
 5. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the retaining member (11) bears a marking (18 ₁ ).
 6. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the predetermined distance (d₁) is selected from a group of at least two different distances (d₁, d₂).
 7. Device according to claim 5 and claim 6, characterized in that the marking (18 ₁) is associated with one of said predetermined distances (d₁).
 8. Cryogenic fluid container comprising at least one piping (3) provided with a safety device according to one of the preceding claims.
 9. Container according to claim 8 comprising at least two tubes (3 ₁, 3 ₃) each provided with a device according to one of claims 1 to 7 whose retaining members (11) are connected to each other by a flexible connection (20).
 10. Container according to one of claims 8 and 9, characterized in that it contains an air gas. 